Starr Fated (14 page)

Yet as
Seraphina sat next to me, I found myself having to resist a
compulsion to rip open her blouse, so that I could get my hands on
those tantalisingly pert breasts of hers. When she leant over her
bed to reach some more of her work, I wanted to run my hands up
those long luscious legs, and I fantasised about taking her from
behind. Where was all this shit coming from? I'd never experienced
such excessive uncontrolled feelings before, and it really rattled
me. Of course I managed to resist all my urges to maintain a
civilised front – just about.

So in
desperation that evening, as I hadn’t had a chance to set up
anything with the blonde in the gym yet, I thought I’d call
Kimberley to see if she was free, because she’d made it quite plain
on numerous occasions that she’d be up for quick session if I ever
felt the need. I even brought her number up on the screen of my
phone, but I just couldn’t bring myself to actually go ahead and
make the call. Suddenly it seemed sex with Kimberley held no appeal
for me whatsoever. It wasn’t her I wanted sex with.

How fucking
annoying. I seemed to be developing an obsession with my brother’s
virginal, possibly lesbian, issue laden, and very young girlfriend.
It would soon pass though, I reassured myself, as I went for an
extra swim and workout that evening. It was just the novelty of
working in such an unusual environment – her bedroom – combined
with my current celibate state.

So tomorrow, I
would only call in for a few minutes to assess her progress. I'd
make sure all necessary channels of communication were available
between us so that I didn't need to visit her in person in her room
again. Out of sight would soon be out of mind. She was Jamie’s
girlfriend. They would be spending the night together this weekend
– that’s if she wasn’t gay.

But that night
I still dreamt of her screaming out my name, digging her nails in
my back as I fucked her over and over again.

~*~

I decided it
would be best if I called in to see Seraphina on my way into the
office, first thing in the morning, mainly because I wanted to make
sure she was correctly prioritising her work for the day ahead. She
needed to finalise the logo and create it in all the various
required formats - both on line and printed versions, in all the
different sizes and so forth.

But calling in
early would also make a point about her late night working - if she
wasn’t up and about, it would prove my point that it wasn’t
acceptable.

I couldn’t
deny that I was also impatient to call in because I couldn’t wait
to see her again. But I ignored this. It was irrelevant.

I let myself
into the student house with the set of spare keys I remembered I
had. I checked the kitchen first, but there was no one in there, so
I made my way up to her room. Then it occurred to me that this
could be a really bad idea, if Seraphina was still in bed. Maybe
naked in bed - I groaned inwardly at this thought.

“For fuck’s
sake man, pull yourself together,” I told myself.

I knocked on
her door, but remained outside.

“Seraphina,
it’s Liam Starr. I’ve just called in on my way to the office. I’ll
be down in the kitchen, so when you’re ready, I'd like a quick
word, please.”

“It’s okay,
come on in,” she called back. I tentatively opened the door and
looked in.

She was
sitting working at her desk, dressed casually in jeans and a baggy
jumper, her dark curly hair loose and tumbling down her back – it
looked slightly damp, so I guessed she’d probably just showered.
She turned and looked at me, and I was mesmerised all over again by
her bewitching green eyes with the long dark lashes. I also noticed
her lips were a full cupid’s bow shape.
So very kissable.
And she had a sweet little button nose. I could have stared at her
face all day, but I managed to tear my gaze away.

“Mind your
head,” she warned, as I entered the room. “I thought I'd make an
early start before these workmen you’ve arranged turn up to disrupt
things. And I’m guessing it’s okay for me to ignore your formal
office dress code, seeing as I'm not actually in the office.”

She’d noticed
that I was staring at her, but she thought it was her clothes I was
looking at, whereas I was actually picturing how she’d look without
her clothes. I watched fascinated as she absent mindedly scooped
her hair round and started plaiting it. When she’d finished, she
fastened the long braid with a tie she had on her desk, and then
carelessly let it drop down her back.
Such beautiful
hair.

“From the hour
Gregg logged out on his time sheet last night, it seems you were
pretty late back from the restaurant, weren’t you?” I stated,
trying to steer my thoughts back to professional work matters.

“No more so
than usual. Oh, and thanks for arranging a lift back for me, but
you know you really didn't need to. I can look after myself,” she
scowled.

“I just
thought you might appreciate it. Would you really rather have
walked back all that way by yourself, in the cold and dark, after
working all day and then being on your feet all evening?” I raised
my eyebrows in askance.

“No, I suppose
not. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and I suppose it was very
thoughtful of you. And Gregg was such a sweetie to see me right to
the door,” she smiled.
What a great smile. It lights up the
room.

“I want you to
terminate your employment at the restaurant with immediate effect,”
I stated. She opened her mouth to protest, but I held up my hand to
stop her. “Let me continue. I need you to concentrate all your
energies on this critical project for my company, which you can't
do if you’re out working all hours at that restaurant. I’ve had a
contract drawn up, backdated to when you first started at Starr
Capital Ventures, which includes details of an appropriate level of
remuneration, also backdated. So now you have no financial need to
undertake any other employment, Seraphina. Just sign both copies,
then I can take mine back to the office with me.”

I walked over
to her desk and threw down a copy of the contract I'd had HR
hastily draw up for me late yesterday afternoon when I’d returned
to the office after I'd left here.

“Hang on just
a minute, Mr Starr. You can't march in here and order me about,
telling me where I can or can't work,” she started protesting as
she looked up at me from where she was sat.

“Are you
seriously telling me you would prefer to slave away in some dingy
restaurant for the minimum wage, rather than spend time doing what
you really enjoy? Because forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought
you told me yesterday that you really enjoyed working on these
designs. I’m now offering to recompense you adequately for doing
something you enjoy. So what exactly is your problem?”

She glared at
me. And the expression on her lovely face made me want to laugh,
because I could so easily read her thought process. She was annoyed
because she knew what I was saying made sense, but she also hated
the fact that I was right, and I realised that she wasn’t used to
being told what to do.
I'd like to tell her exactly what to
do
. I pushed those images right out of my head. This had to
stop.

“I’ll need to
read the contract through first, before I decide whether or not to
sign it.” She reluctantly picked it up as if it was
contaminated.

“Fine. But I
need your response by close of business today, please. Is that your
mobile?” I asked, pointing at an ancient old Nokia on her desk.

“Err…yes.
Why?”

I picked it
up, worked out how to use such an old model, called my own number,
then cancelled the call.

“Now I have
your mobile number, for when I need to contact you for any reason.
Here are my details.” I threw one of my business cards onto her
desk. “I would appreciate regular updates from you, and immediate
notification of any issues or problems should they arise. Is that
clear?”

“As
crystal.”

“Good. Is
everything progressing satisfactorily as per our discussions
yesterday?”

“Yes, Mr.
Starr. Is that all?”

“I think so,
for now.”

“Then perhaps
you’d be kind enough to let me to get on?”

Fuck me, but
the cheeky little madam was throwing me out! Her expression made me
want to laugh again. Why did her attitude intrigue and amuse me
rather than irritate me as I would have expected?

“As you wish.
I’ll possibly call in again on my way back tonight.”

“I’ll be sure
to look forward to that delight,” she muttered.

~*~

From:
[email protected]

To:
[email protected]

Date: 30th
April 2013

Subject: Email
account

Why are you
using your university email account rather than your securely
encrypted Starr Capital Ventures account?

LS.

From:
[email protected]

To:
[email protected]

Date: 30th
April 2013

Subject: Re:
Email account

Because tea
girls aren’t given securely encrypted SCV email accounts, sir.

SJ.

Her reply made
me smile. Somehow, the relationship between us had changed and
evolved as we worked together. She was challenging and answered me
back in her emails, but I didn't mind, because I appreciated her
wit and sense of humour. She intrigued me because she was different
from anyone else I dealt with, and I found myself looking forward
to seeing her emails pop up in my inbox.

I picked up my
mobile and called her number. We’d already spoken several times, as
I’d been concerned the workmen Andrew had organised would disrupt
her, but she’d assured me there’d been no major issues.

“Mr. Starr.”
For some inexplicable reason I liked the rather irreverent way she
said my name. “What can I do for you this time?”

“You’ll be
getting your Starr Capital Ventures email account as soon as it can
be set up, Seraphina. But I do hope you can at least make a decent
cup of tea, seeing as that seems to have been your prime objective
in my company,” I said.

“Of course.
You seemed to approve of the coffee I made you yesterday, so
perhaps you should sample my tea next time.”

“Maybe when I
call in tonight?” I suggested.

“What time
will that be? Only I’d really like to go to Yoga tonight, seeing as
I missed my usual class. After sitting at my desk for so many
hours, I really need a good work out,” she explained.

I could
appreciate her need for physical exercise and I thoroughly
approved. I swam and worked out most days and always felt better
for it.

“What time is
your class? And where is it held?”

“There’s one
at six till seven I thought I’d go to. It’s on the Backhill campus
at university, about a twenty minute walk from here. They give
subsidised rates for students, and it’s my little luxury, my treat
to myself. I really enjoy it.”

“I’ve got a
late afternoon conference call to the States, so I won’t be
finished here at the office until at least six thirty. I’m just
googling where this campus is. Looks like it’s on my way back, so
I’ll pick you up and drop you home after your class, then you can
go through the latest mock ups for me to approve,” I suggested. “I
don't want to risk wasting time if I don't like what you’ve come up
with so far. And you were right – I do need to see them printed out
rather than on screen to get the proper impression.”

And so it
developed between us over the days. Working together, emailing,
talking on the phone, meeting up both before and after work. We
just fell into an easy companionship that I had rarely experienced
before, certainly not with a girl.

Contrary to my
initial impression, I found Seraphina to be extremely organised and
competent, as well as very talented. So I came to respect her
opinion, and I actually appreciated the fact that she didn't
hesitate to contradict me if she felt I was wrong. Much to my
surprise, I enjoyed this banter between us, and it made me realise
that most people just went along with whatever I said, whatever I
asked them to do.

Not Seraphina.
She was like a refreshing breath of fresh air coming into my very
stuffy life.

I found I was
thinking about her constantly, although I took great pains to cover
it up. It wouldn’t do for anyone to suspect The Boss was going
soft. I had my reputation to guard after all.

But right now
it seemed to me that thoughts of my brother’s girlfriend filled my
every waking and sleeping moment.

“
What’s this board
here?” Liam asked.

Today he was
wearing a navy blue suit, pale blue shirt and a contrasting dark
red tie with a slight stripe to it. He was always immaculately
groomed. He wore a different suit every day, and his outfit was
always perfectly coordinated. Liam was the absolute epitome of the
successful executive corporate image. He smelled divine, but I had
no idea what aftershave or body wash he used – no doubt something
hideously expensive, because it was quite subtle, and not
overpowering as cheap ones tend to be.

I’d also
noticed that he always wore cufflinks, which for some stupid reason
I found very attractive. Why, I have no idea, because I’d certainly
never been into the suited executive type in my life before. It was
just Liam, I decided, the sheer size and magnetism of the man, even
though he wasn’t as conventionally good looking as Jamie.

He’d called in
after work today, as he’d done every day so far. Morning and
evening, as well as countless phone calls and emails. Control freak
extraordinaire, that was Liam Starr. But I had to hand it to him,
he was extremely thorough and always decisive, which I respected
and valued. I could see why he was so successful, because he was so
focussed and driven.